Like Good Over Evil, Broe will Triumph in the End
by Secret Galatea
Summary: Back to Last Blast dance: Chloe gets exposed, Brady goes after her, Philip acts as happy-go-lucky as I want him to. Rated PG13 for some kind of harsh language in one scene.
1. Default Chapter

*Disclaimer: I don't own NBC or any characters or anything. (CDNow.com is mentioned, and I have nothing to do with that, either.) Nobody sue! It's not like I have anything anyway. *  
  
Chloe ran out of the gymnasium in shock and embarrassment. There it was! All over the internet was she, unclothed, and forever etched in her mind in the hall of horrible moments was the minute that she was first displayed before the entire student body. Now her relationship with Philip was sure to be over. She winced, remembering was had just taken place minutes before.   
**FLASHBACK**  
Chloe and Philip stood up on the stage, and Jan clicked on a remote control for a show on a large projector screen. Everyone stared at the screen expectantly, but not at all expecting what was to come next. Suddenly, there was an image of Chloe, completely undressed, with a message at the bottom of the screen that read, "A preview of operagirl.net." Chloe's eyes shot to Jan, who tried to look surprised, but Chloe could see a satisfied smile peeking out on Jan's face. Along with this newly acquired humiliation, she received a tidal wave of information just by the expression on Jan's face. She ran past her king and lunged toward Jan. Jan turned and a frightened look covered the faux shock and slight successful revenge. She attempted to shield herself with her hands, but Chloe jumped on her, bringing the hateful girl to the floor. Smacking her enemy with all the violence and power that was in her, Chloe still felt no better than she had before she began beating her adversary senseless. Jan tried to speak as Chloe hammered her into the floor. Chloe restrained her fists and allowed three words to slip out of Jan's mouth.   
"Mimi...did it," evil Jan whispered breathlessly, before going unconscious. Chloe realized that her number one opponent was done, slapped her once more lightly, and stood up.   
Before she could leave the dance, or move onto Mimi, she heard Philip's voice.  
"Chloe! What has gotten into you?!" Philip shouted; his voice was pure with shock. "First, you get a so-called summer 'job' that you're afraid to tell me about, and now that everyone's found out, you surprise me some more by abusing Jan in front of everyone?" Chloe had gotten a tad confused about the summer job part.  
"Um, Philip?" Chloe began. "What do you mean by, 'now that everyone's found out?'"  
Philip cocked his head to one side and looked at her as though she had just asked if she was an airplane.   
"I mean, we all know, Chloe. We know how you're going to make money for Julliard. And it is most definitely not a job."   
Chloe eyed her handsome (yeah right) boyfriend for a moment longer and realized what he meant. She gasped, and her blue eyes widened about an inch.   
"You mean...you think...you think that I actually..." Chloe spoke breathily. She felt an odd, cold sensation in her chest and gut. Philip actually thought that this was her way of making money. She backed away from him, and then she turned around and ran out of the gymnasium.  
**END OF FLASHBACK**  
Now that Chloe was outside in the warm evening air, she felt slightly relieved, like she'd just left a life full of shame behind and was starting a fresh, new one, without any embarrassing moments or painful experiences. So long as no one came out to look for her, she would feel fine. Unfortunately, she heard heavy, slow footsteps coming closer from behind her. She did not turn around. If she turned around and saw Philip there, then she would just feel sick to the stomach and recoil.   
The person who approached her came up on her side, and did not force her to speak or look at them. A hand landed on her arm, just below her shoulder, and moved vertically up and down the top of her arm, trying to soothe the victim. This arm-rubbing individual leaned in toward her ear and whispered,  
"It's okay."   
Chloe thought she recognized the voice and turned to face her follower.   
"Brady?" Chloe whispered, startled that Belle's brother would be the one, at least the first one, to follow her out of the "crime scene." Brady's head nodded slightly to confirm that it was him.   
"I, uh, was at Dot Com yesterday, and I heard Jan and Mimi talk as they walked past me. I didn't know that this was what they had planned, but I did know that there was something brewing in the little witches' cauldron," Brady confessed, chortling a little at his metaphor. Chloe let out a little chuckle. Jan and Mimi were definitely far from angels. Chloe felt a bit safer, and her heart felt a bit lighter. Chloe still had that spoiled little dumb rich kid on the mind, though.  
"I wonder what Philip's going to say," she thought aloud. Brady's head jerked toward the right at the mention of his uncle.   
"He's going to eventually fathom what happened earlier and dump you."  
Chloe's head jerked toward Brady.   
"No he wouldn't. He loves me."  
Brady laughed and rolled his eyes.   
"Oh, please. Philip loves gourmet pizza that his cook makes. But if it were out there for everyone to eat publicly, when he couldn't even have it privately, he's drop it like a flaming bag of crap."  
"Brady, there is no need to be hostile. Or use such unfavorable language."  
"Oh, well, I'm sorry, my dear little diva. I shall only use words that both you and Webster agree on," Brady replied caustically.   
Both were silent then. Chloe thought about what Brady had said before about pizza. Maybe Brady was right. Maybe Philip only wanted what the rest of the world couldn't have. But then she thought, what's wrong with that? She pushed those thoughts out of her head and thought about what was certain, or soon to be certain, about Philip. Philip claimed he loved her, Philip had not attacked her immediately when she was displayed without clothing, and Philip acted kind and caring towards her. Of course, Philip also assumed she was having liaisons with every boy she spoke to, and he had lied about his father's status as living or dead, and it made sense that Philip would dump her because he believed she was "earning" money is such a tawdry fashion.   
"Chloe?" Her name brought her back to reality. "Chloe, what are you thinking of?"   
Chloe knew her eyes were getting wider. Belle's "tough, rebel" brother was asking what she was thinking of? That's not exactly common. She stopped mocking him in her mind and answered.  
"I was thinking about Philip."  
Brady was quick to respond. "Honey, I really think you two aren't going to be together for very long after now, so why don't you just forget about him. You two don't mesh well."  
Chloe was originally going to finish what she was planning on saying, but changed her train of thought.   
"What do you mean, we don't mesh well?"   
"I mean, you mesh terribly. You don't mix well. He was born with a silver spoon practically jammed in his mouth and was given everything and a bag of chips. You were put up for adoption and...what? Deprived of long-term love?"   
"Yeah."  
"I know sometimes it seems that the opposites attract for the best, but this will, or, did, crash and burn."  
She must have gone crazy. She was actually considering the things that flew out of Brady Black's mouth as possible truths. It wouldn't be that bad to break it off with Phillip. No more crazy accusations of betrayal, no more "quality time" that felt like suffocating, and she wouldn't see him much if at all this summer anyway because of her real summer job and his trip to the islands.   
"Hey, Chloe?"   
"Hmm?" She looked up at Brady again.   
"Do you feel better?" Chloe nodded sincerely. "Do you want to go back in there?" She shook her head feverishly. Brady smiled at her. Very good, little diva. Make your refusal strong.   
"I... I want to go home," Chloe said.   
"Do you want me to drive you?" Brady asked. Chloe's head bobbed up and down. She put aside all preconcieved ideas and looked at Brady as a protective figure who would not harm her, and did not make her sick when she was traumatized, when anyone else probably would have sickened her. Brady took out his cell phone and called his grandfather. Chloe listened to Brady's side of the conversation. Basically, he was asking for permission to leave the dance without Nicole and bring Chloe home. (He assured Victor that Chloe and Philip were seperated by many an impatient "yes," and he told Victor that Chloe was the victim of a horrible injustice.)  
Chloe listened as Brady said good-bye to Victor and hung up.   
"Okay," Brady began, "I have to go tell Nicole that I'm leaving, and I'll be right back." Chloe watched him as he went back into the building.   



	2. Thank You, Brady

Brady shuffled through the many people to find his blonde, former-model date. She wasn't exactly hard to spot. He found Nicole quickly, and she was full of the latest Salem High gossip. She was a sponge at teenage social events, wasn't she?   
"Nicole," Brady said, "I'm going to go. Philip and Chloe are seperated, and their relationship is doomed to end within the next two days. Chloe probably won't even leave home tomorrow."   
"Okay." Nicole replied. Just then, Brady nodded and turned around to return to Chloe, and Nicole grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back. "Wait. Where exactly are you going? And where did Chloe disappear to?"  
"Oh, I'm going to drive Chloe home. And you can get one of my grandfather's drivers to bring you home in a limo. Or you could call a taxi," Brady smiled at his last remark and swirved around to return to Chloe. Nicole watched him vanish in the sea of people, and then was approached by two very teenage and very bopping teenyboppers.   
"I saw you talking to my brother," the blonde girl said. "Does he happen to know where my friend Chloe is?"   
"Yeah," Nicole answered. "Brady is driving Chloe home."  
"Oh good," the blonde Belle sighed and rested on her date's chest.   
"You're glad she's not run off and created a new identity with an alcohol problem?" her date, Shawn, asked, intentionally as a joke. Belle lifted her head and looked up at him like he was the most inappropriate creature on earth.   
"Exactly how much TV do you watch, Shawn Douglas Brady?"  
  
  
Chloe looked out the window at the dark, shadowy things she saw rapidly passing her by. Just like the year that Philip and her had spent together. She had not even seen Philip for an hour, and the last words he'd spoken to her were actually pretty calm. He'd not seemed as shocked as she thought he would be, in hindsight. Yet, she thought of their relationship as over. Maybe it'd just been the way Brady was talking. Maybe he'd brainwashed her. Or maybe Chloe just finally wanted to end it with Philip, if he didn't want to end it with her. Maybe it just had to end.   
"I'm sorry," Brady said in a very strange voice. Chloe shifted her eyes from her window and turned to her chauffeur.   
"Thank you," she replied.   
"For what?" Brady inquired.  
"Tell me what you're sorry for."  
"I meant that it had to happen. And...that it had to happen to you. You do not deserve to be...shown off, like that. Especially when you're completely surprised to be shown off, too. It's not like no one deserves it, though. Anyone who does that to someone is the one who really deserves it." Brady had to swallow after his slight meander down philisophical lane. "And tell me what you were thanking me for."  
"For not bothering me. For driving me home. For not being Philip."   
Brady turned to her and nearly swirved off the road. Brady straightened out his car to be parallel over the road and tried to straighten out his mind. No, no luck. Nothing made sense. He had to ask.  
"Why are you glad that I'm not Philip?"   
"I don't know..." Chloe tried to drift off, change the subject, but everything taunted her. "I just...I knew, when I was standing out in the evening air by myself, or at least when I heard your footsteps, that it couldn't be Philip. I didn't want it to be Philip. If he came to try to comfort me, then I'd be sick to my stomach, try not to look at him but still feel sick. So thank you for coming out and not forcing me to talk about it like a shrink, or saying that you're sorry immediately, or yelling at me. Thanks." Chloe started tearing up then. She was actually happy at the end of such a bad evening. Amazing. She didn't have a boyfriend who was acting weird, or angry, or insanely jealous; she didn't have friends who were always there for her (even if she didn't want them to be there), but she did have another person. One Brady Black. What could he be classified as? Maybe...helper? Not really friend, not just an acquaintance, not quite a confidant...An emotional aid, maybe. That fits. Sort of.   
The car lurched forward one last time and made an odd groaning noise, and then it stopped. Chloe looked out her window again at her house. She turned back to Brady.   
"Thank you," she repeated, as if it had become her mantra.   
She unlocked the door and started fumbling to find the handle. Brady couldn't let her go that easily, or that quickly.   
"Don't mess with that door; I'll open it from outside." He hopped out of the car and raced to the passenger's side to open Chloe's door. He told her to stop playing with the handle, she retracted her hand, and Brady pulled the door open. Chloe stepped out into the darkness and felt safe with her...emotional aid. She smiled, feeling secure with her classification of one Brady Black. He was the only species in that genus.   
Brady walked with Chloe up the brick walkway to her house. Chloe felt incredibly grateful for Brady's existence and prescence. She looked up at her emotional aid and found him to be looking back at her. It was like a guardian, a protector. His eyes would not let anybody hurt her. It had not always been like that. She'd never actually seen him care like that.   
They reached the stoop, and Chloe said "thank you" once again. He smiled, mentioning that she'd said that numerous times. She smiled back, and leaned in toward him gently. She kissed him lightly on the lips, taking Brady by surprise but delight, and then pulled away. She looked bright when she said bye and went into her house.   
  
Chloe watched from a window as her emotional aid left her stoop and went back to his car. She smiled and let the blinds fall back into place. Nancy walked into the living room.   
"Hi, Sweetie," she greeted cheerfully. "Did you have a good time?"   
Chloe thought a moment.   
"Yeah... I was put on display on a huge projector screen without any clothes on, beat the living crap out of one of my foes, will officially break up with Philip before next week, and have a better relationship with my best friend's brother. All in all, I'd say it was a pretty fantastic evening," Chloe answered with a smile that went ear to ear.   
"Oh I'm sorry..." Nancy said, unsure of what to say because of her daughter's tone. "But you sound so sincere, dear. Like you had a great time. You're really good at acting."  
Chloe grinned smuggly.   
"Who says I'm acting?" She walked around the room, trying to attain a mysterious air. "It was a fabulous couple of hours. Except for that whole being presented naked in front of everyone thing. That kind of sucks. But everything else is peachy keen." Chloe went upstairs to change her clothes.   
Chloe picked out baby blue pajama bottoms and a comfy light blue turtleneck. She brushed her hair a couple times to straighten it out and slid her feet into cushy blue bunny slippers that she thought were kind of corny, yet adorable. She bounded back down the stairs and saw Craig. He laughed and then commented.  
"Is that what you wore to the dance?"   
Chloe rolled her eyes and smiled.  
"Very funny, Craig."  
"Nancy tells me that you didn't have such a great time."  
"Well, she's misinformed. I told her that I had a fantastic time."  
"But she said you're going to dump Philip and that you were shown nude in front of the whole school. Are you sure that you had a fantastic time?"  
"Positive." Chloe plopped down on the couch and pressed on the remote. After such a strange evening, she needed some dead brain cells from television. Maybe she'd forget that being-broadcast-bare portion of the dance. Then the phone rang. Chloe sighed, turned off the television, and answered. It was Belle. Of course. 


	3. Phone Call from Belle and Gourmet Pizza

It was Belle. Of course.  
"Chloe?"  
"Hi, Belle."  
"Oh good. So Brady got you home alright?"  
"No, Belle. Actually, I got home in several pieces. My left leg is in the kitchen, and my left ear is still outside on the porch."  
"Not funny!" Belle laughed anyway.   
"Oh, thank your brother for me. He was really sweet and really helpful."  
"You are saying that Brady is sweet? That's a first."  
"Well he was."  
"Oh, yeah! Chloe, Jan regained consciousness, just in case you wanted to know. Philip seemed to be in a daze right after you left, but when me and Shawn told him that you were safe with Brady he got back to reality. ...Unfortunately, he got back to reality angry, and started cursing my brother."  
Oh, that's new, Chloe thought. Of course Philip would react like that. He always does.   
"Oh, thank god," Chloe said, not thinking.   
"What? Thank god for Philip cursing my brother?"  
Chloe thought about that.  
"Well...yeah, kind of," she answered. "I don't mean that Brady deserves to be cursed, not all the time, at least. I was ... just ... kind of ... thinking of, maybe..."  
"What, Chloe?" Belle demanded curiously. "What were you thinking of?"  
"Dumping Philip. That's what I was thinking of doing."  
"Chloe, Philip doesn't want to break up just because of the stupid Operagirl.net prank that Jan pulled."  
"Ha, so it was Jan!"   
"Philip really cares about you. He understands that you didn't plan that whole thing, and that no one would want to just put themselves on display like that. He doesn't have any problems with you."  
"But he has problems with Brady."  
Belle was always ready to talk, but what Chloe'd said stopped her in her tracks.   
"Ye-ah," Belle let out slowly.  
"And he has problems with every guy that I spend time around. I don't care if he doesn't have a problem with me; I have a problem with him."  
"Chloe, that's a pretty dramatic turn-around I just heard. What exactly did my brother say to make you think about all this?"  
"What makes you think that your brother made me think of it?"  
"Because right before you two were announced as the king and queen of the Last Blast, you were acting all gaga over Philip. And when you were...exposed, on that big screen, he didn't want to break up with you; he just wanted to know why you chose that way to get money. And I know that you didn't do it, Chloe, so don't get mad. But anyway, the only people that you've been with since then are Brady and your mom and Dr. Wesley, maybe. And I know that those last two don't influence you too much."  
"You must be a shrink's daughter."  
"What does that mean?"  
"Oh...I don't know. It just came to mind."  
"So, what did my brother say to you?"  
Chloe thought about Brady and the things that he'd said to her.  
**FLASHBACK**  
"He's going to eventually fathom what happened earlier and dump you."  
"No he wouldn't. He loves me."  
"Oh, please. Philip loves gourmet pizza that his cook makes. But if it were out there for everyone to eat publicly, when he couldn't even have it privately, he's drop it like a flaming bag of crap."  
**END OF FLASHBACK**  
"Well..." Chloe began, before remembering something else that Brady had said to her, but in the afternoon before the dance.   
**FLASHBACK**  
"At least I don't try to clip your wings, Chloe."  
**END OF FLASHBACK**  
Chloe got it. It all fit into place like a cooperative jigsaw puzzle. She'd been thinking earlier that Philip wanted what the rest of the world could not have, just in general, and she'd wondered what was so bad about that. Now she realized what Philip wanted to hide away from the world, even if he wanted it unconsciously. Philip wanted to make her the gourmet pizza. He didn't want any guys paying any attention to her; he wanted to have her all to himself.   
"Oh my god," she said, not even realizing that she said it.   
"What?" Chloe'd forgotten that Belle was on the other line.  
"Philip wants me to be his pizza!"  
Belle hesitated, hoping that her friend would explain what she'd just said.  
"When we were outside, Brady said that when Philip actually realized what happened, he'd dump me, and then I said that he wouldn't because he loves me, and then he said something about gourmet pizza that his cook makes. Brady said that Philip loved the pizza, but if it was served publicly for everyone to have a slice, then he wouldn't want it. I didn't realize exactly what that meant until a minute ago. Earlier this afternoon, he said that Philip was trying to clip my wings, and now I know what he meant. It makes perfect sense. Philip wants me to be the pizza, so he can be the only one to eat it. He wouldn't want me if I was out in the open, in the public, and that's why he gets jealous of every other guy that I'm around."  
"O-kay..."  
"I'm going to break up with Philip!" Chloe sounded ecstatic.  
"Gee, Chloe, you seem kind of...really really happy about this," Belle commented.  
"Well, I am. I'm going to be free of the suffocating green-eyed monster."  
"Oh, Chloe, Brady's home! Gotta chat with him. I want to know exactly what he said about that gourmet pizza, and see if we can order some."  
"Belle, thank Brady for me!" Chloe exclaimed before hearing the click.   
  
"Brady!"  
Brady turned to his little sister, limped over to the couch and sat down. He'd heard the end of her phone conversation, including the gourmet pizza part.   
"Hello Belle. I told Chloe that Philip loved his cook's gourmet pizza, but if it was available to everyone publicly when he couldn't just have it privately, then he'd drop it like a flaming bag of crap."  
"Brady!" Belle was surprised.   
"Sorry. I remember the flaming bag of crap part perfectly, though; she called me on it. Miss diva can't handle a little language from Mr. tempermental."  
"I think she forgot about your flaming bag of crap phrase, Brady, because she said that you were very sweet and helpful." Belle explained matter-of-factly.   
"Really?" Brady replied. "Not as sweet and helpful as King Philip, though, right?"  
"Um, actually..." Belle began to illustrate. Should I give him the details of my friend's love life? Belle thought. After all, he did kind of influence her choice. "Actually, Chloe decided that she's going to break up with Philip."   
Brady's eyes grew wider, and his jaw dropped a bit.   
"I was surprised, too," Belle said, noticing her brother's reaction. "And it was even weirder than just that, Brady. Get this: she was totally giddy. I mean, she seemed completely elated when she said she was going to break up with him. I'm kind of sad for Philip, but I've never seen, or heard, Chloe like this before."  
"Like what, exactly?" Brady asked for clarification.  
"So happy, Brady. I've never heard her be so happy. And I still cannot get my mind off that particularly strange fact that she's so happy because she's breaking up with someone."  
Brady yawned.   
"Belle, did Chloe leave any more messages for me? I'd like to get some sleep soon."  
"Oh yeah. She says thank you." Brady smirked and remembered her kiss.  
"Really? That's all? No smart aleck remarks?" he said.  
"Well, when I asked if you got her home alright, she did say no, that she came home in several pieces." Brady laughed.   
"Like, her leg was on the porch and her ear was in the kitchen, or something?"   
Brady laughed again. Your leg always could be on the porch, he thought, because my lips are still with you.   
  



	4. Carpe Diem!

  
Philip wanted to rip that bastard Brady Black to shreds. How dare he go after my girl? He thought. Chloe's my girl, and everyone knows it. Then his father walked in.  
"So did you have a good time at the dance, son?" Victor asked.   
"No," Philip replied angrily, scowling. "That nephew of mine Brady tried to steal my girl!"  
"Brady tried to steal Chloe from you?" Victor repeated.  
"Yeah. Everyone knows that Chloe's taken; why does everyone want to snatch her away from me?"  
"Philip, slow down. Why do you think that Brady tried to steal Chloe from you?"  
"Because, Dad. After she ran out, Brady followed her and ended up driving her home. I hope he crashed on his way back to the penthouse."  
Victor noticed his son's hateful feelings towards Brady, but he dismissed them for the satisfaction of having Philip and Chloe broken apart.   
"Son, would you like to be alone?" Victor asked, just to be safe.  
"Yeah, sure," Philip said, grabbing a pillow. With that, Victor Kiriakis walked down to his parlor and pulled out his cell phone.  
  
  
Brady answered his phone quickly; it tended to get on his nerves very easily.   
"Hello, Brady? This is you grandfather," Victor said on the other line.   
"Hi, Grandpa," Brady greeted.  
"I heard from Philip that you went after Chloe after she...left...and that you drove her home. And he didn't see her at all during this time?"  
"Yeah, I kept them seperated."  
"You said earlier that a horrible injustice had been done. What horrible injustice was that, exactly?"  
"A girl that hates Chloe, Jan, broadcast Chloe naked on this huge projector screen at the dance."  
"What?" Victor was in disbelief.  
"She must have put a camera in the showers of the school, I geuss."  
"Oh, I hope that Philip doesn't geuss that. I hope he breaks up with that little wench."  
"She's not a wench. And I don't think that Philip will be the one breaking up with her..." Brady tempted his grandfather to geuss what would happen.  
"Did she say that she's going to dump Philip?"   
"That's what my sister said...that Chloe said. Chloe also seemed glad that Philip wasn't the one driving her home, or the one who came after her at the dance. Belle said that Chloe sounded giddy when she said she was gonna break up with Phil."  
"Well, I don't like the girl, but we're alike in this. I'm about to start dancing a jig. I'll speak with you later, Brady." Victor hung up, and Brady hung up.  
Suddenly, Brady got a strange urge to go and see Chloe. He thought about it for a second, but decided that sleep was more important at the moment. He hobbled up the stairs for a trip to dreamland.  
  
  
I have to go see Brady, Chloe thought in the middle of a commercial. Whoa, where did that come from? She shook the whim off and set her mind back onto the comfort of late-night talk shows.   
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
  
Chloe woke up on the couch to the phone ringing incessantly. She snatched it up from its cradle and said hello.  
"Chloe?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Thank you. And you're welcome."  
"For what? Who is this?"  
"For calling me sweet and helpful, although you're very misguided on both accounts."  
"O-kay...and why are you welcome?"  
"Because you thanked me. Many, many times. Little diva, you are welcome."  
"Brady, you're giving me a headache."  
"So? What else is new?"  
Chloe chuckled, and Brady smiled on the other end of the line.   
"Can I see you later today?" Brady asked.   
"Why?"   
"I don't know," Brady answered truthfully. He had no idea why he wanted to see her, but he did.  
"Um...okay. I have nothing else to do today, might as well make you feel good by letting you diss my singing."   
"Oh, happy happy joy joy. That's always my favorite hobby. Meet you at DotCom at 2:00?"  
"A.M. or P.M.?"  
"P.M. I'd rather you not transform into a werewolf under the full moon on your way there."  
"Not amusing, Brady. See you later."  
"Ditto. Carpe Diem!" Brady exclaimed before Chloe hung up. Chloe set down the reciever carefully, shaking her head in mild confusion. Brady was strange, this she knew. This everyone knew. But she was the only one who was going to meet up with someone who said "seize the day" instead of "goodbye" or "see you later."  
  
  
Brady laughed at his spontaneous good-bye and glanced at the clock. It was 3 hours until 2 P.M. Lucky him - plenty of time to get ready.  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*   



	5. The Philip Files

  
Chloe walked into DotCom and slid into a booth at 1:58 P.M. She'd noticed that the laptop on the other side of the table was on CDNOW.COM, searching for "Phantom of the Opera."   
Brady walked back to his booth, hot cup in hand, and found his little diva there. She smiled up at him; he smiled back. He set the drink down and slid into the seat.   
"So...Belle says that you're going to dump Uncle Phil," Brady said.  
"When did she say that?" Chloe asked, curious as to what her bud had spilled.  
"Last night, after I got home. She also said that you said I was sweet and helpful," Brady just threw these facts in her face to see if he could get a rise out of her. "And my little sis doesn't lie. She's too afraid that the boogie man will come and get her. So, when are you gonna spill to Phil?"  
"I don't know...next time I see him?" Chloe hoped that wouldn't be any time soon.   
"Yeah right," Brady replied, smirking.   
"Okay, I don't know. Isn't there a way that I can do this without actually having to do it?" She asked, desperate for a way out.  
"Don't kill the messager," Brady said.   
"What does that mean? Get someone else to tell him?"  
"Yes. But not me, Phil will get all crazy and think that I had something to do with it."  
"...You did."  
"Uh-oh. I did?"  
Chloe heard laughter coming from the door of DotCom. She watched as Jason and Jan made a beeline for her.   
"Hey, slut," Jason said. Jan was grinning an evil grin, and so was Jason, her partner joined at the hip.   
"Jan, why the hell did you do that to me?" Chloe shot.   
"For a sweet little rodent I once knew, maybe?" Jan smiled, threw her conniving head back and cackled.   
"See you later, you tramp."  
"Yeah, later hussy."  
"Bitch," Brady blurted out, breaking his little oath of silence. Jan wheeled around and stared at Brady.  
"Did you just call me a bitch, cripple?" Jan asked.  
"Yeah. Now I would like to raise the level of maturity in this place above that of name calling, now that I've lowered myself."  
"Don't call my girlfriend a bitch, asshole. I'm the only one allowed to do that," Jason commented. Jan glared at Jason, and then dragged him outside.  
They're probably fighting, or making out, Chloe thought. Either one is fine, just as long as they're not near me. Chloe looked at Brady. Did Brady just stand up for me? Maybe he just started to hate Jan as much as I do. Either's fine there, too. Jan deserves it.  
What the hell did I just do? Brady thought. Did I just defend Chloe, or just insult that bitch Jan? She probably didn't take it as an insult; it was probably a compliment in her world.   
"Thank you," Chloe said.   
"Again?"   
"Yes, again!" Chloe laughed. "Jan's a total bitch; she needed to be called for it."   
Brady leaned over the table, and Chloe leaned toward him.  
"What?" Chloe queried.   
"You're welcome," Brady whispered, before leaning in further and kissing her.   
Great, just what I need, Chloe thought, an electrical kiss from someone who's not Philip before I even break up with him.   
"Chloe! What the hell are you doing with that pathetic bastard?!" Philip's voice shouted from about 15 feet away. Chloe and Brady pulled back, and Philip stormed up to the table. "Brady, get out of my sight before I do something that'll get my hands bloody!"  
"Philip!" Chloe exclaimed in slight surprise. Okay, so maybe now his accusation won't be so crazy, Chloe thought. She glanced at Brady. He wasn't moving like Philip told him to; he just gazed at her with pleading eyes. Alright. Do what Brady wants...what I want. After all, I said I'd do it the next time I saw him. Might as well spite Brady; he thought I wouldn't have the guts.   
Please, please tell him, Chloe, Brady thought, hoping the message would get through.   
"Philip," Chloe said again, "we have to talk."  
"About what? About him?!" Philip glared at Brady.  
"Actually...we don't have to talk. We have to break up," Chloe admitted. Brady chortled at her bluntness.   
"Brady!" Philip lunged for him, and Brady tried to back away, but Philip grabbed his arm and started to punch.   
"Philip, stop," Chloe said calmly. He obeyed, and looked at his lovely girlfriend ... ex-girlfriend. "You've gotta believe me. It was totally my decision."   
Chloe sounds so sincere, Philip thought.   
"Don't hurt Brady. Not that you could, hon, oh, no offense."   
Brady covered his face with his hands, trying to hide the smile.   
"Please, Philip. I'd like to just...be single for a while. You know, not have you jump down every guy's throat?"  
"You want...you want to be single?" Philip repeated.   
"Yeah. Without the black clothes. Don't worry, I don't think anyone's going to hit on me or harm me. I'm strong. I can take care of myself."  
Philip could not resist making his love happy. He said okay and drifted away to the CD listening station.   
Brady leaned towards Chloe again.   
"That was easy," he whispered.   
"Yeah. Amazing. He took it like, extremely well."  
"Like, extremely well?"  
"Well, if I said extremely well alone, than it would sound like I was this fantastic person."   
"Are you saying that you're not?"  
"Well," Chloe was unsure. "Well, I'd like to be a fantastic person, but I won't be one if I say I am before I get there. It'll just hinder me."  
"Interesting philosophy," he said, stroking his chin and leaning back in the cushy seat, mocking her. Chloe just rolled her eyes.   
"Do you want to go somewhere?" Brady asked.   
"Montana?" she suggested.  
"I don't have enough fuel in my van for a trip like that. What about the park or something?"  
"Ooh, I thought of something! Where's Belle?"  
"Probably at home catching up on her soaps."   
"Let's go." Chloe pulled Brady out of DotCom.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*   



	6. Thanking Forever

"I wish Nadia would just dump that snobby jerk Jay and get together with Kyle. And why can't Drake and Kristian just tell everyone about that baby?" Belle was talking to herself as she watched the soaps that she'd missed during the school year.   
"Hey, sis."   
Belle jumped. She was so entranced in her daytime television that she hadn't heard Brady and Chloe come in. She noticed that Brady was actually grinning and Chloe was beaming like a headlight.   
"Did you win the lottery, Chloe?" Belle asked, eyeing her friend suspiciously.   
"Even better," Chloe answered happily. "I broke up with Philip, and he didn't draw blood!"   
"You said that he couldn't hurt me anyway," Brady remarked.   
"Okay, you two are really scaring me now. Were you two ... sniffing markers or something?"   
"No. We were not doing anything of the sort," Chloe defended herself.   
"That's right. She just broke up with Uncle Phil and thanked me some more," Brady added. Brady and Chloe both glanced and smiled at each other, remembering the kiss. On impulse, Brady leaned in towards her again and kissed her.   
Why does each one have to be so sweet and euphoric to me? Chloe thought.   
Belle's jaw practically fell to the floor. When she stopped babbling and formed actual words, she dared to ask them the question.   
"Are you two together now?" she asked.   
Chloe was startled by her question. I have no idea, Chloe thought.   
"No," Brady answered, limping over to Belle and plopping onto the couch. "Miss diva over here wants to be single for a while, isn't that right? Without the black clothes this time?"   
"Chloe, you are going to have guys asking you out left and right. Some of them are kind of creepy. Are you sure that breaking up with Philip was the right thing to do? You were safe then; he'd protect you."   
"Oh yeah, I was so safe with Philip, the guy who beat up Jason because he called me a name. The guy who jumps down any other guy's throat if he speaks to me. I'm sure I was really safe, Belle," Chloe replied sarcastically.   
"Philip would never hurt you," Belle insisted.   
"Maybe not on purpose. He wouldn't hurt me, but he'd torture me."   
"So...you really want to be single?" Belle clarified.   
"Well, I want to go out with other guys, mostly just to make friends. I'm going to be single anyway, Belle; I wasn't married to Philip."   
"Thank god," muttered Brady. The girls looked back at Brady.   
"What'd you say, big brother?"   
"I said, thank god," Brady repeated, louder. "You'd be like a rat trapped in a plastic bag, Chloe." The intense blue stare told her what Brady was thinking, all she needed to know. I'd never cage you in, Chloe; I'd never suffocate you. Chloe strode over to the couch and sat beside Brady. She leaned toward him, looking up at him, and whispered.   
"Thank you."   
Brady looked down to Chloe with a soft look in his eyes. His mood had changed quickly.   
"You're welcome. Again," he whispered in return. Chloe chuckled and both of them smiled. Chloe reached up; Brady reached down, and they shared the most tender and momentous kiss. Belle observed her big brother and her best friend. They look so sweet, Belle thought. So comfortable in their position...so fitting with each other. Like they belong like that forever.   
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  



	7. Seven Years Later

Seven Years Later  
"Chloe, stop fussing; you're a beautiful bride!" Belle insisted.   
"No, what if I trip on my dress? Or if I can't get the stupid veil out of the way? My god, Belle, how did you ever do this?" Chloe's squirming was familiar to Belle; she'd gone through it just a year before. Belle glanced down at her diamond ring for a second and thought of her husband Shawn.   
"Chloe, calm down. I was jittery on my wedding day, too, but I soon realized something."  
"What? Sedatives work?"  
Belle laughed. "No! I realized that I was just nervous about the wedding ceremony, not the actual marriage, and the marriage is what really counts."  
Chloe meditated on those words for a minute, breathing deeply and slowly to calm her impatient nerves.   
"I still can't believe you're going to be my sister-in-law!" Belle squealed excitedly.   
"I cannot believe that you still squeal like a teenager."  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Chloe paced in the tent that she prepared in. She still didn't feel prepared. She was surrounded by her bridesmaids: Belle, Mimi, and Fiona. Her maid of honor, Susan, paced beside her, trying to ease her distress. Chloe's three escorts, Nancy, Craig, and Stefano Dimera, were standing in the corners. Nancy and Craig were discussing something in one corner, and Stefano just stood solemnly in another. Chloe told Susan that she was fine and rushed over to Stefano.   
"My name's gonna be Chloe Black! How weird is that?" she asked anxiously. "My name could have been lots of things. Chloe Miller, Chloe Lane, Chloe Wesley, Chloe Dimera, now Chloe Black."  
"Don't worry, daughter," he said reassuringly. "If you have any trouble once you are Chloe Black then I will handle it."  
Chloe looked at her father suspiciously.   
"Well, just don't kill anybody," she replied, returning to Susan.   
She continued her pacing until the only people left in the tent were her, Nancy, Craig, and Stefano. She wanted to walk beside one of them, and the other two would walk behind them. She requested that Nancy not walk by her side because it would be like being given away again by her. Stefano she respected, but did not know very well. Craig would walk beside her, and Chloe just hoped that Nancy and Stefano would not bicker behind her.   
Chloe heard a short wedding march play and emerged from the tent with Craig beside her and her blood parents behind her. She did not move until the march ended. Then song "All I Ask of You" from the Phantom of the Opera began. She grinned and began to walk down the red carpet. She wanted to savor the song, but she got an impulse that would not wear off. Well, Chloe thought, I want to surprise Brady one last time before I'm his wife. She picked up her skirt, dropped her flowers, and ran toward him, leaving Nancy, Craig, and Stefano in the middle of the isle. Craig laughed, Stefano chuckled, and Nancy just looked at her daughter, confused. Chloe waved on all three of her parents to come up with her. Nancy picked up her flowers, and all of them approached Chloe.   
Soon enough, her parents had all gone to sit and watch the ceremony. (Her wedding was being held outside in a meadow, and her ceremony was not quite an orthodox one. Or a long one. Brady and Chloe had written their own vows. The man who would marry them would chatter a little, just to stay slightly traditional, then they'd recite their vows and kiss.)  
Chloe gazed at everything around her as the minister spoke. She tried to stop and admire the scenery a few times, but she did not want to tear herself away from all her friends just to look at grass and flowers. The people made the meadow beautiful. She looked over at all the men. Shawn Douglas Brady, now married to Belle Black, stood there, looking at his beautiful wife. Brady had invited Isaac, his half brother, and Isaac's bud J.T. to the wedding, too, and they stood there with Gameboys in hand. Kevin stood there, almost as stiff as stone, except for a slight sway now and then when he stole glances at Susan. Chloe had insisted that Kevin come to the wedding, and she could see stars in Kevin's eyes when he looked at Susan. Chloe shifted her gaze from her friends to her groom beside her. She heard the word "vows," and Brady turned to face her.   
"Thank you," Chloe said, just as she'd rehearsed. She looked into Brady's eyes expectantly.   
"You're welcome. I love you."  
Chloe didn't expect his vows to be 3 words longer than hers. They'd rehearsed this and laughed about it for months; he hadn't added the last three words any of the times that they'd practiced their vows. Brady rested his head on her forehead and whispered.  
"That's my surprise to you," he said, knowing that she was surprised, though just a little, of his classic ad lib.   
"Aw ... thank you," Chloe whispered.  
"You're welcome. Again."  
Chloe chuckled and both smiled. Chloe wrapped her arms around his shoulders and they kissed their official kiss.   



	8. Matchmaker and Dance Lessons

At the reception, everyone was dancing (Belle and Shawn got a dance contest started), except for Susan, Kevin, and J.T. and Isaac, of course. Chloe whispered to her new husband that they should get Kevin and Susan to dance together.   
"I noticed Kevin looking at Susan like she was a celebrity while the minister was rambling on," Chloe encouraged.   
"Alright," Brady gave in. "You can go play matchmaker; I'll talk with the eight-year-olds."  
"You should be able to relate to them easily," Chloe commented. "You have the maturity of an eight-year-old." She smiled.  
"Ha ha, very funny," Brady remarked, shooing her away. Chloe practically skipped over to Kevin.   
Oh great, thought Susan, now Kevin'll get up and dance and I'll be the only one over ten years old that's not dancing.   
"Kevin," Chloe started, sitting down in a chair next to him, "I say you looking at Susan at the ceremony. Talk about stars in the eyes. Go and ask her to dance!"  
Kevin looked down at his shoes and shook his head.  
"Nah, she'd say no." He looked back up at Chloe. "Besides, why dance when I can design shoes that'll dance for me?"  
Chloe grinned and rolled her eyes. "Get off your millionaire butt, Kevin. Go ask her to dance!" Kevin looked reluctant. "Now!" Chloe encouraged.   
Kevin shook his head and make some unintelligible noises.   
"Stand up," Chloe commanded. Kevin groaned, Chloe insisted, and Kevin obeyed.   
"Now go over there and ask her to dance!" Chloe exclaimed. Kevin didn't move. Chloe pushed him in Susan's direction, and when he started walking on his own, he was ready to turn back around. Chloe twirled him back around and held his shoulders, pushing him slowly toward Susan. Once Chloe had pushed Kevin about 3 feet in front of Susan, she bolted. It's up to Kevin now, Chloe thought, smiling. She watched Kevin put his hands in his pockets and chat with Susan. Ugh! Chloe groaned in exasperation.  
  
  
"H-hi, Susan," Kevin said. Well, I'm here now, why turn back? Kevin thought.  
"Hi," Susan greeted.   
"So...how are you doing? What are you doing?"   
"I work for the Basic Black company. I'm actually a model for the plus-size clothes. What do you do now?"  
"I'm not famous yet, but I'm starting up my own company. Hopefully, the money'll be rolling in sometime soon. There are a couple of kinks to work out, but I can fix them pretty quickly."  
"Cool," Susan said.   
"Well..." Oh great. Why am I nervous? Kevin thought.   
"Do you want to get back to your table and watch Belle and Shawn make fools of everyone else on the dance floor?"  
Perfect! Kevin thought. It came to me!  
"Hey, why don't we go make fools of ourselves on the dance floor with everyone else?"  
Susan laughed and seemed shy.   
"Come on!" Kevin had become as persistent as Chloe. He extended his hand, and Susan hesitated, then took it. Kevin dragged Susan to the middle of the floor and started doing the most ridiculous moves that anyone'd ever seen. Everyone backed away, creating a little circle of space around Kevin as he did his outrageous dance. Kevin grabbed Susan's hand and pulled her into the circle. The song "I Need to Know" by Marc Anthony began, and everyone watched as Kevin and Susan expertly tangoed.   
Chloe laughed in joy. A perfect match, Chloe thought.   
  
After Susan and Kevin's tango, John announced that it was time for the bride and groom to dance in spotlight.   
Chloe shouted to John, "No way! I'm not going to try to upstage Kevin and Susan! It's impossible anyway!"  
Then the title song from Phantom of the Opera started. Chloe's mind changed pretty quickly; she grabbed her husband and went into the circle after Kevin and Susan left willingly. Chloe and Brady even sang as they danced. The song was over before they knew it. Then a song by Dido began.   
"Brady!" Chloe exclaimed. Brady's eyes melted down to her. He fell in love with his name every time she said it. "I love this song, "Thank You."  
"You're welcome," he replied from habit. Chloe laughed at her new husband.  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  



	9. Telling a Child

Six Years Later  
"When your daddy and I first met, we didn't like each other very much."  
"Or at all," added Brady, smirking. Chloe rolled her eyes.  
"And there were...circumstances. I had my first boyfriend, who happened to be daddy's uncle, even though he was younger than daddy. Your daddy's uncle, Philip, was my age. And when I moved to Salem, Philip and I didn't like each other, either. But we ended up getting together anyway."  
"E-hem," Brady cleared his throat loudly, reminding Chloe that she was starting to tell the wrong story.  
"Anyway, I wasn't too popular at school, until I started dating Philip, that is. Still then, some people didn't like me, and at the end of junior year was this dance, the Last Blast. There was...a prank, and I was the one who was pranked. After beating up the girl who did it, I ran out of there like lightning. A couple minutes later, your dad followed me out. He made me feel better and drove me back to my house. The next day, he called me up and told me to meet him at DotCom--"  
"DotCom was there way back then?" Isabella Stephanie Black asked in amazement.  
"Yes," Brady answered, rolling his eyes.  
"Brady!" Chloe exclaimed, smacking him on the arm with the back of her hand. Brady smiled and tried to regain a sincere look. Chloe continued with the story.  
"When we met at DotCom, my boyfriend Philip came up to us and was acting all crazy. I managed to break up with him easily, and then I was free. The rest of that summer, I worked to raise money for college, and your dad kept trying to strengthen his legs so he could walk without a limp again. My ex-boyfriend and a lot of the people my age went on a summer trip to the islands, so I spent the summer at my job and with Brady and your aunt Belle. The rest is history, I geuss."   
"Wow. Your lives seem so boring still," their daughter replied. Chloe and Brady laughed.  
"Well, if you go through anything like that," Chloe began, "it won't be boring to you. It wasn't boring to us. Time changes, but feelings don't, so I think you'll be able to relate to that story in time."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Epilogue  
Shawn Douglas Brady and Belle Black/Brady had two children, Gary and Victoria Brady. Shawn works at the docks, and Belle became a cop. They always challenged their friends to a dancing contest whenever they could.   
Susan and Kevin exchanged phone numbers at Brady and Chloe's wedding; neither of them called. Instead, Kevin searched for her and saw her again during one of her shoots for Basic Black. He asked her on a date, and they ended up going on it, although Kevin had to talk Susan into it. You geuss what happened after that.   
Brady and Chloe are one of the most unique couples in Salem, and have three children, Isabella Stephanie Black, Nicholas Black, and Christopher Black. Chloe and Brady could not be happier. Or weirder.   
  
THE END  
  
(I'll probably write a sequel about their kids and the children of some other characters. Christopher Black will probably be a MAIN main character.)  
  
P.S. !!! Nix my first idea for a sequel. Actually, I might just change the like, four or five names that are current characters since all the others would be originals. But there may still be a sequel, maybe from Shelle, Phimi, or Jan's view, though.   
That's a good idea, right?   
  
  



End file.
